Shooting gallery



F 1949- w. A. TRATSCH 2,461,788

SHOOTING GALLERY Filed Feb. 7, 1945' Mum! IN V EN TOR.

I Patented Feb. 15, 1949 SHOOTING GALLERY Walter A. Tratsch, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Clarence E. Threedy, Chicago, Ill., trustee Application February 7, 1945, Serial No. 576,625

' 2 Claims.

This invention relates to shooting galleries and has for its principal object the provision of a shooting gallery in which there are a plurality of abutting separate booths so arranged with respect to each other as to prevent the player occupying one booth from directing the aiming device in a direction other than at the target, thus assuring safety to observers standing adjacent the booths.

In shooting galleries of the character to which this invention relates, it is the common practice to use a plurality of moving targets toward which a pneumatically operated gun is directed, to propel a shot at the target. In such shooting galleries the entire space of the gallery is usually open and unobstructed, thus enabling the player to direct the gun at various undesirable angles other than at the targets. In so doing there are and have resulted numerous cases of injury by accident to observers where the player has moved the gun to such position as to bring the same within the line of position of the observers. At other times, observers have been injured by ricocheting of the shot from the targets. It is therefore one of the objects of this invention to provide a shooting gallery in which each player occupies a separate and independent booth, thus protecting those to the rear of the player from injury in the manner hereinbefore set forth.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an electric circuit which controls the operation of the aiming device and which will permit the operation of the aiming device only when the operator is confined in the booth with the door thereof closed.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to-the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shooting gallery embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a symbolical diagram of the electric circuit which controls the aiming device of the shooting gallery.

Thedrawings illustrate the preferred form of construction by which the severalobjects of my invention are accomplished. In this connection my improved shooting gallery includes a target area which is disposed a substantial predetermined distance from a partition II. This partition H defines a plurality of abutting separate booths l2 and has an upper solid wall I3. Each ofthe booths 12 are closed by hinge-supported doors M. The lower portion of these doors l4 comprises a solid panel I6, whereas the upper portion comprises a transparent panel I5, and it is preferably intended the height of the lower portion of the door should be of a dimension approximately equivalent to the distance to the hip of a player.

In each of these booths there is provided a front railing I! from which extends a suitable shelf [8. These shelves I8 are provided with openings l9 through which is adapted to pass a compressed air supply conduit 20 leading to the pneumatically operated gun or aiming device 2!. In the preferred showing of my invention, each of the guns 2! are supported upon their related shelf I 8, with the barrel disposed upon the railmg IT within a notch 22.

Each booth has arranged therein an electric circuit 24. In this electric circuit there is a coin controlled vending device 25 which may be of any approved construction capable of vending shots for use in the gun and which includes a suitable switch (not shown) adapted to be closed when the coin slide 26 is in its full stroke position, that is a, position to effect vending of the shots. This coin slide may be of any approved construction such as that shown in Patent No. 1,908,380. The compressed air supply conduit 20 has interposed therein a valve 21, and this valve 21 is normally opened by a holding relay 28 also connected in the circuit 24, in which circuit there is a source of electric energy 29. A control switch 30 is disposed in the circuit 24, and this switch 30 is actuated by a magnetic coil 3| disposed in that part 24 of the circuit 24. In this circuit 24' there is a master switch 32 which is normally closed when the door [4 of the booth is in closed position. In this circuit 24 there is also arranged a suitable incandescent lamp 33 which substantially illumi-- nates the booth.

To complete the invention there is suspended in any suitable manner forwardly of the transparent panel portion 15 of the doors M, a suitable shade 34 which the player may lower so as to black out light or other interferences from that part of the shooting gallery to the rear of the booths as indicated at 35.

The gun or aiming device 2| is preferably constructed in accordance with the disclosure of Patent No. 2,304,320, granted December 8, 1942.

The arrangement is such that in order for the operator to manipulate the gun or aimin device 2|, it is first necessary that he enter the booth l2 and then close the door. Closing of this door l4 closes the switch 32 which connects the circuit 24 with the source of electric energy 253. When this takes place the relay 3| will be energized and close the control switch 36, whereupon circuit 24 will be energized as and when the operator deposits a coin in the coin slide 26 and presses the slide inwardly to complete the circuit to the relay 28, which opens the valve 2'? of the compressed air supply conduit 120, whereupon the pneumatic gun or aiming device is ready for operation by the operator. It will be thus seen that the operator occupying the booth cannot maneuver the gun to the rearwof the booths so as to bring the same over the region occupied by observers. While ,=prevented from thus doing, the side of the booth opposite the doors is open so as to permit him to have complete range of the targets I0.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into efiect, this is capable of variation and modification withoutdeparting from. the spirit of the invention. vI, therefore do not wish tobe limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself ,of such :2.

of electric energy, a switch in said circuit normally closed when the door of the booth is closed, an aimin device in each of said booths comprising an electrically controlled member, and a coin-controlled device in each of said booths for connecting the electricallycontrolled member with said source of electric energy when said switch is closed by said door.

' 2. A,shooting,gallery comprising a booth havingan open side and a door in'the wall opposite said open side, an electric circuit having a source of electric energy, a switch in said circuit normally closed when the door of the booth is closed, a pneumatically operated gun in each of i .TREFERENCES CITED The following references-are of'record in ithe .iiie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name .Date' 1,743,576 Smith "Jan. 14,1930 2,238,384 Feltman .Apr. 15, 1941 2,247,028 Kurtz June 24, 1941 

